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Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has acknowledged the difficulty of convincing Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri to switch his international allegiance from England to Nigeria, Footynaija.com reports.
Born in north London to Nigerian parents, the highly-rated midfielder remains eligible for the Super Eagles. However, despite not ruling out the possibility of representing Nigeria, the 18-year-old is yet to receive a formal approach from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Nwaneri, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Arsenal with eight goals in 29 appearances, is seen as a future England international.
Eric Chelle is back in Europe. He will continue his consultation with Super Eagles players in Europe. Possibly, scout and meet eligible players for Nigeria.
— Adepoju Tobi Samuel (@OgaNlaMedia) March 31, 2025
A meeting with my favourite Nigerian player born abroad? Ethan Nwaneri? It is POssible. pic.twitter.com/lvlzhHkxSh
His recent promotion to the England U21 squad and the keen interest from new Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel put the English FA in pole position to secure his services.
The teenager already has a provisional cap for England, having featured in a UEFA U17 European Championship qualifier against Lithuania in 2022. Should he decide to represent Nigeria, he would need to submit a one-time nationality switch to FIFA.
Speaking to SCORENigeria, Chelle revealed his desire to recruit the Arsenal midfielder:
“During my trip to England (to meet with Super Eagles stars like Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi), I said I would want Nwaneri to play for Nigeria. I want the NFF to talk to him and then I will also speak with him.
“It will be hard because England will also want to cap him at full international level. But I believe I can convince him because I will speak to him on the game project and where he fits in after the NFF must have got in touch with him.”
Nigeria Football Federation has struggled to lure dual-nationality stars in the past, missing out on players such as Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Dele Alli, and Bukayo Saka.
However, successful cases like Ademola Lookman, Ola Aina, and Alex Iwobi provide hope that Nwaneri might still don the Super Eagles jersey in the future.
